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2018 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is the tournament to determine the men's national champion at the Division III level. The tournament was expanded to 12 teams from 11 teams in 2016. All rounds of the tournament have been single elimination. The first round and quarterfinal rounds were played at campus sites. The semifinal and final rounds was held at the at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York. Participants Pool A Seven bids are guaranteed to the conference tournament champions of the following conferences *Commonwealth Coast Conference: Nichols Bison *Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference: Fitchburg State Falcons *Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Augsburg Auggies *New England Hockey Conference: Hobart Statesmen *New England Small College Athletic Conference: Colby Mules *Northern Collegiate Hockey Association: St. Norbert Green Knights *State University of New York Athletic Conference: Geneseo Ice Knights Pool B Changes With the ECAC West dissolving after the 2016-17 season when the nucleus from that league formed the United Collegiate Hockey Conference for the 2017-18 season apparently the UCHC would inherit the Pool B position allotted to the former ECAC West but no announcement has been made at to the league's status. Traditionally, a new conference with at least seven members has to play two complete seasons to earn a bid which would make the UCHC eligible for an automatic bid to the conference for the 2019-20 season. When the New England Hockey Conference and the Commonwealth Coast Conference were both formed they were formed from already existing conferences that already had at least seven preexisting members and that the previous conferences had automatic bids to the tournament. The ECAC West was playing with 8 teams in 2016-17 but that was after playing with just six teams for several seasons. Due to the former league playing with 8 teams in 2016-17; the UCHC may possibly be granted an automatic bid to the tournament in 2018-19. The changes did not affect the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as the conference has played with 5 teams since it formation for the 2013-14 season. Prior to 2018 one spot was usually awarded to the champion of the conference tournament of one of the following non-automatic bid conferences: *ECAC West (most teams moved to United Collegiate Hockey Conference): Utica Pioneers *Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference:Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds Neither team was chosen for the tournament but the WIAC conference tournament runner up and regular season champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers were awarded a Pool C bid. Pool C Five spots will be awarded to at-large teams made by the selection committee. The school not chosen from Pool B is still eligible for selection. * Salve Regina Seahawks * University of New England Nor'Easters * Adrian Bulldogs * Marian Sabres * Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers Schedule/Results First Round March 10 *Nichols Bison defeated Fitchburg State Falcons 3-1 *Augsburg Auggies defeated Marian Sabres 3-1 *Colby Mules defeated University of New England Nor'Easters 4-2 *Geneseo Ice Knights defeated Hobart Statesmen 4-2 Quarterfinals March 17 *Salve Regina Seahawks defeated Nichols Bison 4-3 *Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers defeated Adrian Bulldogs 5-2 *St. Norbert Green Knights defeated Augsburg Auggies 5-2 *Colby Mules defeated Geneseo Ice Knights 2-1 Semifinals March 23 *Salve Regina Seahawks defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers 3-0 *St. Norbert Green Knights defeated Colby Mules 4-3 Final March 24 *St. Norbert Green Knights defeated Salve Regina Seahawks 3-2 (2ot) Category:2018 in hockey Category:NCAA Division III Tournaments